Restaurants and hospitality firms could struggle this Christmas because of a shortage of trained chefs.
A study by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) found there has been an increased demand from hospitality recruitment agencies for qualified chefs over the past three years.
However, of the 46 agencies questioned, nine out of 10 believed there was not enough trained chefs to meet demand.
They also fear potential changes to immigration policies could make the skills shortage worse.
REC Chief executive Kevin Green said: "As we approach the festive season the shortage of chefs is causing real headaches for restaurants. Training and progression needs to be improved so that more people are encouraged to become chefs.
"That's a longer term fix, but there's an immediate skills crisis which needs to be addressed. Any restrictions on access to chefs from the EU, such as a salary threshold for work visas, will only exacerbate the problem.
"Without a supply of chefs to meet growing demand, restaurants, bars and hotels will have to pay more for their staff and it's likely that these costs will be passed on to the customer. We may even see restaurants close their doors if they can't remain competitive and profitable."
A study by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) found there has been an increased demand from hospitality recruitment agencies for qualified chefs over the past three years.
However, of the 46 agencies questioned, nine out of 10 believed there was not enough trained chefs to meet demand.
They also fear potential changes to immigration policies could make the skills shortage worse.
REC Chief executive Kevin Green said: "As we approach the festive season the shortage of chefs is causing real headaches for restaurants. Training and progression needs to be improved so that more people are encouraged to become chefs.
"That's a longer term fix, but there's an immediate skills crisis which needs to be addressed. Any restrictions on access to chefs from the EU, such as a salary threshold for work visas, will only exacerbate the problem.
"Without a supply of chefs to meet growing demand, restaurants, bars and hotels will have to pay more for their staff and it's likely that these costs will be passed on to the customer. We may even see restaurants close their doors if they can't remain competitive and profitable."
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